Historical Notes Concerning Bunyaviridae

The Chinese are thought the first to have recognized Hanta
Fever with
Renal Syndrome (HFRS).

Napoleonic Wars

Soldiers suffered from an epidemic of febrile illness. At the
time it was not realized what the disease was, but the
symptoms that were described are similar
to sandfly fever.

1909

R. Doerr et al. determined that a filterable agent was responsible for
sandfly fever. It was also determined that the disease could be
transmitted through the bite of the sandfly (Phlebotomus papatasii).

1913

In the Western world, HFRS was first
noted by Soviet workers.

World War II

1000 cases of HFRS
were recorded among Finnish and German troops. In 1945, the disease was
termed "nephropathia epidemica" by doctors.

1940's

Scientists in Russia and Japan independently described the infectious and
viral etiology of HFRS.

During the Korean War, thousands of United Nations soldiers were infected
with Korean Hemorrhagic Fever (HFRS).

1951

Korean Hemmoraghic Fever was isolated by scientists. In addition, Sabin
demonstrated that sandfly fever in the Middle East was caused by either
the Sicilian Sandfly Fever virus or Naples Sandfly Fever virus.

1953

Gajdusek proposed a common etiology between viruses indigenous to the Far
East and Scandinavian based on clinical and epidemiological data.

1959

Soviet scientists note that HFRS epidemics are related to increases in
rodent
populations.

1960

Casals and Whitman demonstrated Bunyamwera, Wyeomyia, Cache Valley and
Kairi viruses were antigenically related, and suggested naming this group
Bunyamwera. In this year, La Crosse virus was isolated.

California Encephalitis Virus was isolated by Thomson, Kalfayan and
Anslow.

1967

Crimean Congo Hemmoraghic Fever was isolated
by Dr. Courtois in
the Belgian Congo.

1971

The Toscana virus was isolated from Phlebotomus Perniciosus
(sandfly) in central Italy.

1971-2

A relation established between Toscana virus and asceptic meningitis,
indicating the virus could be the cause of the disease.

1973

Murphy, Harrison, and Whitfield documented chemical similarities between
Bunyamwera supergroup viruses, and other unclassified viruses. The
morphologic and genetic observations made helped lead to the formation of
the family Bunyaviridae.

1975

It was assumed that Rift Valley Fever was a nonfatal disease until an
epidemic of patients in Africa lead to some cases of fatal hemmoraghic
fever.

1976

Lee and Lee determined that A. agrarius was responsible for
transmitting HFRS. They found HFRS antigen in the lungs of the fly at the
Hantaan River near the border between North and South Korea.

1977

The first major outbreak of Rift Valley Fever in Egypt. The
epidemic
remained within Egypt, but the eventual disapperance of the disease was
not fully understood.

1978

Hanta virus was first isolated.

1979

Bishops and colleagues delineated 5 distinct genera within the Bunyamwera
supergroup. This also helped create the family Bunyaviridae.

1980

The biochemical and molecular similarities within the Bunyamwera
supergroup were enough to create the family, Bunyaviridae. Within the
same year, the families Phlebo, Uuku, Nairo, and Hanta genera were
created.

1981

French et. al managed to grow Hanta virus in cell culture.

1987

A recent outbreak of Rift Valley Fever occured in the Senegal River Basin.
The episode resulted in 25,000 or more human infections and 9 deaths.

1991

Kolakofsky and Haker determined that cap snatching was used to initiate
transcription.

1993

The outbreak of Sin Nombre virus resulted in several deaths within the
four corners region of the United States.
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